Independent Nursing Bill gets split committee vote, advances

Despite strong objections from nearly a dozen physician organizations, legislation that would allow certain Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRN) to diagnose, treat and prescribe drugs to patients as independent providers advanced out of the Senate Committee on Health December 7, with Senate Bill 394 receiving a 3-2 vote in favor of passage. Committee chair and author of the bill, Senator Pat Testin (R-Stevens Point) was joined by Sen. Dale Kooyenga (R-Brookfield) and Sen. Julian Bradley (R-Franklin) supporting the bill. Sen. Jon Erpenbach (D-West Point) and Sen. Tim Carpenter (D-Milwaukee) voted against passage.

Physician groups joined together last week (see this Dec. 2 Medigram story) to remind State Capitol policymakers that the strength of Wisconsin’s high quality health care system is found in physician-led, team-based care. The vote was announced the day after that memo was released, with Sen. Testin scheduling a vote by paper ballot – meaning the committee did not physically convene to discuss reasons for “aye” or “nay” votes. Such paper ballot procedures are common in the state senate this session. The votes were due back into Sen. Testin’s office by 10 a.m. December 7.

The bill is now eligible for a full Senate vote; the companion bill in the State Assembly, Assembly Bill 396, is expected to get a committee vote in early January 2022.

Society members can still let their elected officials know how important it is that patients get the care they deserve by having access to the most highly-educated and rigorously trained health care professionals: physicians. You can find your elected officials’ contact information on the State Legislature's home page by putting your address into the "Who Are My Legislators?" box. Let your elected officials know: nurses are a valuable part of the health care team, but that team needs to include physicians where patients seek care.

Society Chief Policy and Advocacy Officer Mark Grapentine, JD will discuss this bill among other topics during the WisMed Friday Report tomorrow, December 10, at 12:15 p.m. Register here for this members-only event. You can also email him for more information.

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IPFCF premium holiday extended – significant savings for physicians and organizations

With the urging of the Wisconsin Medical Society, the Injured Patients and Families Compensation Fund (IPFCF) Board of Governors has approved another premium holiday for IPFCF’s annual assessment fees for Fiscal Year 2023 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This will be the third straight year that physicians, CRNAs and hospitals enrolled in the IPFCF will realize significant savings.

Full-time physicians will save between $382 and $2,521 depending on specialty, with residents saving $229 and part-time or retired physicians saving $95.

The IPFCF will be providing Fund coverage for all Fund participants free of charge from July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2023. All Annual Medical Mediation Panel Fees will be paid by the IPFCF on behalf of Fund participants.

The primary medical malpractice coverage requirements are still in effect as defined within Wis. Stat. § 655.23. The IPFCF will continue to monitor compliance regarding the coverage requirements.

All clinicians should continue to maintain current contact information with the IPFCF and the Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS). Group administrators should continue to add and remove providers from their group whenever employment status changes. 

Please contact Billing Department at 608.707.5477 with any questions or concerns pertaining to the premium holiday or other IPFCF requirements. For detailed IPFCF information please visit the IPFCF website.

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Society, WISAM team up to warn Capitol about kratom legislation

The Wisconsin Medical Society (Society) and the Wisconsin Society of Addiction Medicine (WISAM) joined forces on December 8 to warn state policymakers about the potential harmful effects of kratom – a tree native to southeast Asia whose leaves can contain compounds causing psychotropic effects. The two organizations provided testimony to the State Assembly Committee on State Affairs, asking legislators not to support Assembly Bill 599 – legislation that would legalize two of the substances found in kratom products and create a regulatory scheme that would allow for kratom sales.

The testimony included a literature review published in the April 2021 edition of the Wisconsin Medical Journal (WMJ) about ongoing experiences with patients suffering from Kratom Use Disorder (KUD), and a case report from a 2016 WMJ on kratom addiction and withdrawal. The testimony also highlighted various U.S. Food and Drug Administration warnings about the drug and how U.S. Marshals have seized numerous shipments of dietary supplements containing kratom over the past several years due to false claims about the product’s safety and efficacy.

The bill is now eligible for a committee vote. The Society and WISAM will continue to monitor AB 599 and offer to meet with any policymaker who has additional questions. Contact Society Chief Policy and Advocacy Officer Mark Grapentine, JD for more information; he will also discuss the bill as one of the topics during the WisMed Friday Report tomorrow, December 10, at 12:15 p.m. Register here for this members-only event. 

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Doctor Day 2022 to include top GOP, DEM party leaders talking elections

In what promises to be a lively and informative discussion, top leaders from the state’s Democratic and Republican parties will square off at Doctor Day 2022 in Madison on February 8 to discuss the important November midterm elections. The rapid-fire questions and answers with Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Ben Wikler and Wisconsin Republican Party Chair Paul Farrow will be moderated by Capitol reporter JR Ross from WisPolitics.com.

L to R: Wikler, Farrow, Ross

“November of 2022 looks like another in a line of fascinating elections in Wisconsin,” Wisconsin Medical Society Chief Policy and Advocacy Officer Mark Grapentine, JD said. “Hearing from the two major party leaders will be a unique experience for those in the room watching it happen live – neither of these gents is shy, and they’ll both have plenty to say.”

Each year Doctor Day brings together physicians from every specialty and practice environment to meet with their legislators and advocate on health care issues that affect their patients and practices. The multi-specialty nature of Doctor Day makes it among the most unique advocacy events for physicians in the country. The Doctor Day committee will keep a close eye on COVID-19 conditions as the event approaches, but physicians should register and reserve the date on their calendars regardless.

Contact Heidi Green or Mark Grapentine, JD for more information.

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2021 Superhero provides COVID vaccinations to farmworkers with Foundation support

Why donate to the Wisconsin Medical Society Foundation’s end of year campaign? Because the Foundation supports physicians and issues you think are important to the health of your patients and communities. In 2021 Emily Jewell, DO, was presented the Superhero of Medicine Award. Doctor Jewell is a Family Medicine with Obstetrics physician with SSM Health Dean Medical Group Dodgeville Clinic. She is an outspoken advocate for the betterment of the health and wellbeing of citizens of Iowa County. With the Community Connections Free Clinic where she volunteers, Dr. Jewell started a Free Clinic on Wheels to help serve the surrounding area farmers and farm workers. She is dedicated to increasing health literacy and access to the uninsured and underinsured patients of Iowa County and assisting families with language barriers.

With your support, the Foundation honored her and provided a donation to her clinic in her name. She used that donation to help provide COVID vaccinations to farmworkers that might not otherwise have had access.

What could the Foundation do in your county in 2022? Support their work here and share your ideas through the annual physician survey. Together we can make Wisconsin a healthier place for all.

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PAC Board accepting nominations – help shape the PAC

The Wisconsin Medical Society (Society) is currently accepting nominations to the WISMedPAC Board of Directors. WISMedPAC is the Society's political action committee (PAC), and its board is responsible for guiding the Society's political contribution efforts. The WISMedPAC board was critical to the success of the recent GO PAC GO fundraising effort this fall.

The WISMedPAC board meets quarterly via Zoom and works to ensure that physicians are active participants in the political process. Primary responsibilities include directing PAC contributions to candidates who are seeking leadership roles and to the leadership committees on both sides of the aisle at the state level.

Nominations and questions should be emailed to Heidi Green by Friday, January 7, 2022 (members may nominate themselves).

At the Society's first meeting in 2022, the Society's Board of Directors will appoint between eight and 16 nominees to the WISMedPAC board for one-year terms.

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Deadline nears for Society officer nominations

The nomination deadline for open Wisconsin Medical Society offices is fast approaching. All materials are due to the Society’s Nominating Committee by Monday, January 3, 2022.

Nominations are sought for the following offices:

• President-Elect for 2022-2023.
•  AMA Delegate for 2023 and 2024 (three positions) – Barbara Hummel, MD, of Greenfield (incumbent eligible for reelection); Michael Miller, MD, of Madison (ineligible for reelection); Tosha Wetterneck, MD, of Madison (incumbent eligible for reelection).
• AMA Alternate Delegate for 2023 and 2024 – Donn Dexter, MD, of Eau Claire (incumbent eligible for reelection).

All candidates must submit a curriculum vitae not to exceed three pages, a cover letter no longer than one page, a completed candidate questionnaire for the office the candidate is seeking and a completed Disclosure of Significant Affiliations (conflict of interest) form. Click here to learn more about the nominating process and to download the candidate questionnaires and the conflict of interest form.*

The Nominating Committee will meet Friday, January 21, 2022, at 4 p.m. via Zoom. The Committee will interview and evaluate the candidates for Society offices and prepare a slate of nominees for presentation to the membership.

Communications to the Nominating Committee should be addressed to Clyde “Bud” Chumbley, MD, MBA, CEO, Wisconsin Medical Society, PO Box 1109, Madison, WI 53701 or emailed to Noreen Krueger.

Note: The Society will post the completed candidate questionnaire and cover letter in WisMed Community. The Society will post the conflict of interest form of all candidates selected by the Nominating Committee as nominees in WisMed Community after nomination by the Committee.

For questions or more information, email Noreen Krueger.

*(Member log-in is required to access nomination information and materials. Click here to access the log-in page. Contact us for assistance with logging in.)

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Free rapid antigen test kits available for health care staff testing

For a limited time, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) has rapid antigen BinaxNOW test kits available for health care partners to use for staff testing. These kits are set to expire in December 2021. Place your orders now to ensure supplies are received and used in the December timeframe. 

The following requirements need to be met to place a BinaxNOW test kit order:

• CLIA Certificate of Waiver: Sites that offer rapid, point-of-care testing must hold a valid CLIA Certificate of Waiver. To locate your site’s CLIA number, visit the CDC CLIA Laboratory Search website or email [email protected].
• Reporting: Providers and organizations using SARS-CoV-2 antigen tests should be aware of all reporting requirements for COVID-19. Reporting results to the State of Wisconsin will ensure federal reporting requirements are also met. Reporting account set-up and guidance is available from DHS.
• An order signed by a medical provider to conduct testing: Health care entities may work with a local ordering provider to support their testing program or may use the DHS statewide standing order to support the use of rapid, point-of-care antigen tests. Entities conducting testing under the DHS statewide standing order for point-of-care tests will be required to complete an attestation form and plan to facilitate access to confirmatory PCR testing as needed.

Orders can be placed via the DHS COVID-19 testing supplies ordering website.

Please note that approval for current orders does not guarantee, nor imply, that future requests for BinaxNOW test kits will be approved in calendar year 2022 and beyond.

If you have questions, please contact the DHS COVID-19 Response & Recovery Team Customer Outreach.

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Hybrid long-term policies may be the best option

With the rapidly rising cost of care, long-term care (LTC) coverage is part of a sound financial plan. However, since traditional policies do not pay out if the policyholder doesn’t require any form of long-term care, a hybrid life and LTC policy is often a better option. By combining permanent life insurance and LTC, these policies provide a death benefit and guarantee a fixed premium over the life of the policy. Please note that the death benefit is reduced when a policy pays for long-term care.

Hybrid policies have a lot going for them:

• They offer flexible premium payment options – pay one lump-sum payment or pay premiums over time. (Traditional LTC policies typically don’t offer a single premium payment option.)
• It’s often easier to qualify for coverage.
• A hybrid policy may pay a family member.
• Permanent life insurance policies build cash value that can be used to cover expenses other than long-term care.

However, if the goal is to get the best long-term care, buying a stand-alone long-term care policy will offer more because it doesn’t also include the life insurance benefit.

Hybrid life and long-term care policies come in several shapes and sizes.

• Linked benefit policies are true hybrids that link a life insurance policy to a long-term care policy. With these, the typical long-term care benefit amount is equal to about five times the premium paid.
• A long-term care rider can be added to a life insurance policy at the time of purchase of the life insurance policy. It can’t be added later.
• There are chronic illness or critical illness riders that let the policyholder accelerate the death benefit to pay for care if they have a chronic illness.

Unfortunately, LTC insurance is likely to continue to get more expensive, so now is a good time to start exploring policy options.

To compare existing LTC coverage to other options, or to learn more about LTC insurance that offers the right coverage for the best price with the best terms, contact WisMed Assure Insurance Advisor Tom Strangstalien at 608.442.3730 or [email protected].

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